Cosmetic product package



Sept. 12, 1967 BINDLER COSMETIC PRODUCT PACKAGE led Dec.

INVENTOR. [fa/4 g/A/pze United States Patent 3,341,006 COSMETIC PRODUCT PACKAGE Leonard Bindler, Spring Valley, N.Y., assiguor to Cosmetically Yours, Inc., Yonkers, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 512,976 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-78) The present invention relates generally to the packaging of cosmetic products, and more particularly to certain improvements for a type of package commonly referred to as a blister pack which currently is being ties and other aspect of this type of packaging, too

numerous to mention, make this packaging particularly suitable for cosmetic products.

The improvements of the present invention further enhance the usefulness of this packaging for cosmetic products, particularly such products as lipstick, eye shadow stick and the like which are commonly embodied as a molded, comparatively soft cosmetic mass and are offered in a variety of colors and color shades. Prior art blister pack packaging of these molded cosmetic mass products require a printed color swatch or other type of designation to enable the customer to select the particular color or color shade desired. This basis of color or color shade selection is not always entirely satisfactory since the printed color swatch may not closely match the product color to the satisfaction of all customers, or due to factory error the wrong product and card may be assembled together, or some other error may result because the selection is not based on actual inspection of the product.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object to improve blister pack packaging of molded cosmetic mass products so that color selection can be based on actual inspection of the product.

An improved blister pack for a lipstick (as one prime example of a molded cosmetic mass) which demonstrates features of the present invention includes the usual card and outer heat sealed film or product covering characteristic of this packaging. In the packaging of this product, the lipstick is moved from within the tubular body of the applicator into an exposed position, and is protected by a transparent, comparatively rigid plastic member prior to being confined to the card by the outer, transparent plastic covering. Thus, the plastic member, which is economically mass produced and intended to be disposed of after serving its purpose in packaging, protects the lipstick against crushing pressure which might be externally applied during normal handling of the product, while maintaining the lipstick in clear view for color selection based on actual inspection of the lipstick.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lipstick and a disposable protective transparent plastic member useful in the packaging of said lipstick according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an exemplary arrangement in a so-called blister pack for a lipstick product;

\ FIG. 3 is an elevational view, in section taken on line 33 of FIG. 2, best illustrating the manner in which the lipstick product is protected against externally applied crushing pressure while still maintained in clear View;

FIG. 4 is similarly an elevational view, in section taken on line 44 of FIG. 2, illustrating further features of the package hereof; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the lipstick product removed from the point of sales blister pack.

Reference is now made to the drawings wherein there is shown a so-called blister pack 10 which currently enjoys wide popularity in the packaging of cosmetic products. This type of packaging 10 includes a card 12 which is appropriately printed with advertising and the like (not shown) and has a plastic film surface 14 to which an outer, comparatively flexible, thin-guage transparent plastic covering 16 is heat sealed, as at 18, to confine the cosmetic product 20a, 20b to the card 12. That is, the several parts 20a, 20b of the cosmetic product are conveniently held by the unattached portions of the covering 16 in transparent, shape-conformed enclosures 22.

Heretofore, the blister pack packaging of a lipstick, eye shadow stick, or similar product which is commonly sold in different shades has required the use of a printed color swatch on the face of the card 12 to help the purchaser in the proper color selection of the cosmetic mass of the product. This printed color swatch or other means of color identification for these cosmetic products are entirely eliminated by the improved packaging of the present invention. and product selection is made on the basis of actual inspection of the cosmetic mass.

Assuming for illustrative purposes that the cosmetic product is a lipstick, such product, as is generallyunderstood, includes a rigid and often decoratively-shaped cover 24, a generally tubular shaped applicator 26- having an internally movable tube 28 therein supporting the comparatively soft, molded cosmetic mass or lipstick 30, and an externally accessible rotatable disc 32 for moving the lipstick 30 in and out of the protection of the body of the applicator 26. The disc 32 is operatively connected to means connected to the tube 28 and is eflective, depending upon the direction of rotation, to actuate the tube 28 through retracting and exposing movement. In accordance with the present invention, the two parts 20a, 20b of the lipstick cosmetic product are separated in the blister pack 10 in separate enclosures 22 formed by the transparent outer plastic covering 16 and the lipstick 30' is appropriately moved into an exposed position beyond the applicator 26'.

Further in accordance with the present invention, use is made of a hollow, comparatively rigid, transparent plastic member 34 to protect the lipstick 30 Within the blister pack 10. This plastic member 34 in the form of an economically mass produced, open ended acetate tube is fitted over the exposed lipstick 30 and thus occupies a clearance position about the lipstick 30 which serves to protect it from crushing pressure which may be applied externally against the blister pack outer covering 16 in the course of normal abuse of shipping, handling, etc. Due to the transparency of the plastic member 34 and also the transparency of the outer package covering 16, the lipstick 30 is in clear view so that purdiameter of the cylindrical body of the applicator 26 so that the portion of the plastic member which is fitted over the applicator body firmly engages the applicator body in a frictional fit. It is contemplated that the economically mass produced plastic member 34 Will be disposed of after it has served its function of protecting the cosmetic product in the blister pack 10 and that thereafter the conventional lipstick cover 24 will serve this function.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claim be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What is claimed is:

In a blister packaged lipstick wherein a comparatively soft cosmetic mass is mounted for movement between an exposed and a concealed position with respect to a tubular applicator and is provided with said exposed position therefrom while being confined against a surface of a card by a relatively flexible, transparent outer plastic covering, the combination with said exposed cosmetic mass of a disposable open-ended tube fabricated of a transparent, comparatively rigid plastic having an operative position between said cosmetic mass and said outer plastic covering, said open-ended tube in said operative position thereof being free of any attachment to said card and slidably disposed about said tubular applicator and of a sufficient length to extend therefrom in a concentric position about said exposed cosmetic mass to thereby occupy an interposed position between said exposed cosmetic mass and said outer plastic covering to protect said exposed cosmetic mass from crushing pressure applied externally against said outer plastic covering while maintaining said exposed cosmetic mass in clear view beneath said transparent plastic covering.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,027,921 1/ 1936 Marcus. 2,861,404 11/ 1958 Stratton 206-78 2,892,538 6/1959 Middleton et al. 20678 2,937,746 5/1960 Ferguson 206-78 3,036,705 5/ 1962 Haecker 206-78 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,247,429 10/ 1960 France.

784,503 10/ 1957 Great Britain.

25 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

MARTHA L. RICE, LOUIS G. MANCENE, Examiners. 

